How the famous 'pillars of creation' astronomical phenomenon were actually vapourised 6,000 years ago

The mystery behind one of the most famous astronomical images ever seen may finally have been cracked.

The famous three Pillars of Creation was first photographed by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope in 1995 in the Eagle Nebula.

However, until now experts have been unsure how it formed.

The 'pillars of creation', next to a giant cloud of hot dust thought to have been scorched by the blast of a star that exploded

They now believe it was caused by a nearby supernova explosion about 6,000 years ago, but the light showing the new shape of the nebula will not reach Earth for another thousand years.

A striking new image from the Spitzer space telescope shows the intact dust towers next to a giant cloud of hot dust thought to have been scorched by the blast of a star that exploded, or went supernova.